Information on trends in the characteristics of faculty at Maryland public institutions of higher education is presented, based primarily on the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) Form 2300.3 (Salaries, Tenure, and Fringe Benefits of Full-Time Instructional Faculty). Five major areas of consideration are as follows: (1) the number of full-time faculty, (2) the percentage of faculty who are part-time, (3) the percentage of full-time faculty who are tenured, (4) the distribution of faculty by rank, and (5) average faculty salaries. Based on analysis of the number of full-time and part-time instructional faculty in state institutions from 1975, 1978, and 1981, it was found that: there was a 1.5 percent increase in full-time instructional faculty between 1975 and 1981, but since that time there has been a slight decline in the number of full-time faculty; the number of part-time faculty grew from 2,928 in 1975 to 5,093 in 1980, which represents a 74 percent increase period. At the same time, there was a 6.4 percent increase in full-time equivalent students. For each year analyzed, the community college segment had the highest percentage of part-time faculty and the University of Maryland system the lowest. Statewide, the percentage of full-time faculty with tenure increased from 54 percent in 1975 to 65 percent in 1981, and there was also an increase in the percentage of faculty in the upper rank between 1975 and 1981. The average annual salaries of full-time instructional faculty on 9-10 month contracts from 1975 through 1981 and the Consumer Price Index for September of each year are presented. Comparative national data are also reviewed, and the HEGIS questionnaire and statistical tables are appended. (SW)